FATHER'S LOVE

Thank God that He understands the hidden part within each of us. He understands the child in us, and He speaks to our blanket-clutching, thumb-sucking infantile need. In spite of our growth, income, education, or notoriety, He still speaks to the childhood issues of the aging heart. This is the ministry that only a Father can give.

Have you ever noticed that you are never a grown-up to the ones who birthed you? They completely disregard the gray hairs, crowfeet, and bulging, blossoming waistlines of abundant life. No matter how many children call you “Dad” or “Mom,” to your parents you are still just a child yourself. They seem to think you have slipped into the closet to put on grown-up clothes and are really just playing a game. They must believe that somewhere beneath the receding hairline there is still a child, hiding in the darkness of adulthood. The worst part about it is (keep this quiet), I thing they are right!

The Lord looks beyond our facade and sees the trembling places in our lives. He knows our inner most needs. No matter how spiritually mature we try to appear, He is still aware that lurking in the shadows is a discarded candy wrapper from the childish desire we just prayed off last night – lingering evidence of some little temper or temptation that only the Father can see hiding within His supposedly “all grown-up” little child.

It is He alone whom we must trust to see the very worst in us, yet still think the very best of us. It is simply the love of a Father. It is the unfailing love of a Father whose son should have been old enough to receive his inheritance without acting like a child, without wandering off into failure and stumbling down the mine shaft of lasciviousness.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, the first thing He taught them was to acknowledge the fatherhood of God. When we say “Our Father,” we acknowledge His fatherhood and declare our sonship. Sonship is the basis for our relationship with Him as it relates to the privilege of belonging to His divine family. Similarly, one of the first words most babies say is “Daddy.” So knowing your father helps you understand your own identity as a son or daughter. Greater still is the need to know not only who my father is but how he feels about me.

Extracted from “Naked and not Ashamed” by T D Jakes

I guess that not many of us have had earthly fathers who portrayed to us what a father’s love is. We sometimes blame them for not being there when we needed them or they were harsh and mean to us. Many of us are still blaming others for what happened yesterday.

“One of the great challenges of our walk with God is to resist the temptation to allow what happened in the past determine who we are today. We each must begin to understand and declare: “I am not what happened yesterday. I endured what happened. I survived what happened, but I am not what happened yesterday!” (Quote from T D Jakes’ book)

I guess it is coming to terms and admitting we may not have had perfect childhoods, though many of wished we had, like born into a good Christian family etc..there is always a time where we begin to walk out of the grave clothes and go on with our life knowing our Heavenly Father can and always will heal us of our brokenness. He holds us as a child in His hand, puts us on His lap and speaks tenderly to us that He knows and understands.

I want to encourage those who had trials and traumas, felt isolated, and think that you have nothing to contribute to this world, because of your past. The best kept secret in ministry is that God can do so much with so little! You do not have to find your way out of the shadows and into the light alone…He will lead you, every step of the way, are you willing to come out now? Today, or wait another five years? Or ten? The decision lies on you…but there will always be that voice, so gentle, asking you to come forth, there is something new in store for you…trust Him.

-jo-